He Got in His Share of Digs at Bruins in Pauley Pavilion

When Digger Phelps resigned Monday as Notre Dame’s basketball coach, he took one little-known record with him. Phelps won more games at Pauley Pavilion than any other opposing coach.

UCLA has lost 41 games in 26 seasons at Pauley Pavilion and Phelps accounted for six of them. Phelps was 6-10 at Pauley as Notre Dame’s coach, but that didn’t seem too likely at first.

Phelps’ first game against UCLA as head coach of Notre Dame was in Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 22, 1971, and the Irish lost by a mere 58 points, 114-56, the fifth biggest blowout in Bruin history.

Said Phelps: “I hoped they wouldn’t all be like that.”

Bulletin: On his way out the door, Phelps gave one final assist to his son. In Monday’s edition of the Collegian of the University of Toledo, Rick Phelps wrote in a student newspaper that his father would announce his retirement.

Rick Phelps, sports editor of the student newspaper, wrote the scoop in a column. He said that his father was stepping down and revealed that Phelps, who will be 50 July 4, is planning to use his new free time with his soon-to-be-born first grandchild.

Trivia time: Beginning with John Wooden, what UCLA coach had the best record against Phelps?

New religion: Seen on a car on Sunset Boulevard, a bumper sticker reads in big red letters, Jesus Saves--and in smaller black letters underneath, Gretzky gets the rebound, he shoots, he scores.

No Mr. Moms: Thirteen new diaper-changing stations were installed at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to bring the total number of stations to 18. All 18 are in women’s restrooms.

Videolog: The official Operation Desert Storm videotape is produced by NFL Films.

Mr. Warmth: Dave Parker of the Angels, who played with the Brewers last year, on what he will miss about Milwaukee: “The blankets in July.”

Dragnet 1991: Lou Piniella, the Cincinnati Reds’ manager, was given the key to the city of Tampa, Fla., this spring and four days later got a ticket for making an improper turn.

Trivia answer: Larry Farmer, 5-0, in three years.

Poker-faced: Philadelphia Phillie outfielder Len Dykstra received a reprimand for playing poker games in which he lost a reported $78,000.

Dykstra complained: “They never wrote about how much I won.”.

(Dodger) blue eyes?: Davey Johnson, former manager of the New York Mets, tells Mike Lupica in Esquire about taking some friends backstage after a Frank Sinatra concert at Orlando, Fla., and being invited into Sinatra’s dressing room.

The friends were impressed with being in the presence of Sinatra, but Johnson just laughed and said: “All he wanted to talk about was Lasorda.”

Quotebook: Phillie Manager Nick Leyva on rookie outfielder Wes Chamberlain: “Our goal is to get him through one game without having to use his batting helmet in the outfield.”